[tshaddox]

> While the nation is known abroad for minimalist lifestyles, their websites are oddly maximalist.

I’m not aware of this stereotype of Japanese minimalism. I guess there’s Marie Kondo, and some Japanese high-end dining tends towards minimalism. But then there’s manga, anime, kawaii, Nintendo, Sega, Miyazaki, etc., a lot of which is closer to maximalism than minimalism.

[ghaff]

Having attended a lot of conferences in Japan, I would have said signage and the like tends towards the amateur and garish. Which isn't inconsistent with what you wrote. I've always found Japan a weird mix of refined/minimalist and kitsch.

[pezezin]

I read a description somewhere that I loved: the Japanese have a very refined sense of beauty, but no sense of ugliness.

[flakiness]

A subset of Japanese people use minimalism as a justification as lesser purchase power these days.

That said, I think the Japanese commercial ecosystem is still less wasteful than the one in the US except the excessive plastic wrapping. I hope one day they realize that won't count as "Omotenashi".

[numpad0]

Wet Japanese climate necessitate sterile packaging. It's not as extreme as the Southeast Asia, but things do get soggy in matters of hours. So "excessive" aluminized plastic wrapping is just a necessity.

[m4rtink]

I think a lot of what looks like to much wrapping can be explained by high humidity year round. The wrapping protects products from spoiling or being damaged in such an environment.

[CuriouslyC]

Fruit would like a word

[Cpoll]

You also have wabi-sabi and all the other bits of Zen Buddhism we've imported.

[m4rtink]

Do not forget the Tokugawa tomb in Nikko. ;-)